Posted by Grandfather.
Today’s picture is my wife’s Grandfather (RIP), who lived a long, hard, but good life in Northeastern part of Thailand. The region called Isaan. He lived in the Karasin (Kalasin)province .
I met him the first time about 20 years ago. And I immediately noticed that he was held in a very high regards by everyone in the family. Turned out he had managed to produce 10 kids in his long life. Many who are still around. So he had created a huge family.
My wife was particularly fond of him because he had been the one taking care of her when she was a little child. Grandmother was passed away. My wife’s parents had to work, thus could not be too much involved in child care, so the grandparents would do this job. That was and still is the tradition in the rural areas.
For the next years to come, every time we went to my wife’s home town, I would bring with me a carton of cigarettes and a lighter to Grandfather. My wife refused me buying a bottle of whiskey to him, as I had done the first time. The sigs is enough she said, because he didn’t really smoke that much. But a whiskey bottle would be consumed pretty soon. He always handed out a few packs of cigarettes from the carton, to some of the other elders . Sharing is caring.
Unfortunately I could never communicate properly with him, because he didn’t speak English, and I only spoke a few sentences Thai. But my wife translated all the time, and I made sure she expressed my respect for him.
A sad day when this honorable elder passed away. But he had a long and interesting life. And he was given a very nice sending off to the next life.
See you in my next life dear Grandfather.
Rgds, Sailor
The Traveller. 
One comment